Robbie Maddison’s Pipe Dream

Robbie Maddison has pulled off one of the most impressive stunts on a motorbike to date – Surfing.

Preparations for the stunt – aptly named “Pipe Dream”, have been in the works for the past few years, coming together in the summer of 2015, and bringing a whole new meaning to “riding waves”.

Pipe Dream pushes the boundaries of physics, action sports and innovation to a magnitude the world hasn’t seen before.

Fully kitted out in his motocross gear, Maddison said he was “trembling in his boots”, before taking off on his KTM 250 SX to hit the waves.

Pipe Dream was literally a death-defying stunt, with a few mishaps taking place before the final run where Maddison was knocked off his bike and taken under water by the waves. It was then that he decided to wear flotation device underneath his gear, just in case.

The Australian motorbike stunt rider is considered to be one of the best FMX riders of all time and has even been called the modern-day Evel Knievel.

It’s been a dream of his for a long time to ride his motorcycle on some of the biggest waves in the world at Teahupo’o.

Located in Tahiti in French Polynesia, Teahupo’o is one of the most dangerous surfing locations in the world, said to loosely translate from Polynesian to “pile of heads”.

Maddison describes his light bulb moment for the idea while wakeboarding with friends, wondering if he could use similar wakeboarding technology to combine moto and surf into one epic stunt. And so, Pipe Dream was born.

Maddison has been refining and trailing various designs and getting major sponsor DC Shoes on board. With custom skis attached to his dirt bike, skegs for control and maneuverability and a paddle tire to propel the bike forwards in the water, the bike was ready to go.

Robbie Maddison is best known for showing off his tricks with Crusty Demons, and the Red Bull X Fighters. While he grew up with a love for surfing from a young age, ultimately it was his moto talent that made him a household name.

He’s been defying the odds for a long time and pulled off some truly extraordinary stunts, including: